Our Mission
Ouray Ice Park, Inc. creates and operates a world-class ice climbing park that inspires and enhances the lives of the communities we serve.
Since 1994, the Ouray Ice Park has been the largest man-made public ice climbing park in the world, right next to the small town of Ouray, Colorado. Each winter, we open our gates for three months to thousands of ice climbers from around the globe, and with over 200 ice and mixed routes spanning almost two miles of the Uncompahgre Gorge, we are the ice climbing capital of the world.
The Ouray Ice Park is operated by the nonprofit organization Ouray Ice Park Inc. and is a free and public park. In order to keep the park free, we raise money every year to operate the park through a combination of donations, memberships, events, and sponsorships. The majority of our funding comes from our largest fundraising event of the year: the annual Ouray Ice Festival and Competition, which takes place every January.
It costs $20 dollars per day per climber to operate the park each season. Support us by donating or becoming a member.
WATCH: EVERYONE HAS A FIRST TIME
Our Park and How We Build It
The Ouray Ice Park is not only a recreational ice climbing park, but also an engineering effort that combines natural and manmade elements.
The Ouray Ice Park exists thanks to an overflow of excess water from the City of Ouray’s spring-fed supply tank; a clever layout of irrigation pipe; more than a hundred garden-variety shower heads; a little knowledge of fluid mechanics; and a perfectly located deep, shady, and cold Uncompahgre Gorge.
Beginning in November, Ice Farmers spray water down the canyon walls of the Uncompahgre Gorge resulting in the creation of awe-inspiring walls of ice. With the utilization of the overflow water from the City of Ouray and more than 250 sprinklers, our Ice Farmers diligently work to bring both adventure and tranquility to those seeking respite from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Within an almost two mile span of the Uncompahgre Gorge, the Ouray Ice Park contains over 150 manmade ice and mixed climbs, 11 distinct climbing areas, and three miles of vertical terrain.
GEEK OUT
WATER SOURCE
Overflow from the City of Ouray water supply tank 0.25 mile to the west
GRAVITY FED SYSTEM
No pumps, no motors
WATER PRESSURE
Incoming water pressure is 100-150 psi; pressure on the other side of the pressure-reducing valve is 50 psi
LINEAR FEET OF IRRIGATION PIPE
7,500 feet throughout the Park
TYPE OF PIPE
Certa-lok yelomine
WATER SUPPLY
250 shower heads
AVERAGE FLOW RATE PER SHOWER HEAD
2 gallons per minute
TYPICAL WATER PRESSURE
30 psi at the South Park climbing area (farthest upstream point)
NUMBER OF GALLONS PER NIGHT
150,000–200,000 gallons
LENGTH OF PARK
Approximately 1.7 miles
CUMULATIVE VERTICAL CLIMBING TERRAIN
More than 3 miles
HIGHEST ROUTE
Pic O’ Vic at almost 150 feet high
WATCH: BEHIND THE ICE
Our Team
Our dedicated staff of 12 people along with our Board of Directors and our seasonal volunteers all help make this kingdom of ice.
Our staff consists of Ice Farmers, Rangers, and an admin team that works year-round to make sure the park has the funding to operate every winter. Our Ice Farmers build and maintain the ice and infrastructure, while our Rangers patrol the park daily, collecting data on visitors and enforcing our rules and regulations.
Interested in joining our team? Click here for current job postings!
Watch: Ouray’s Ice Farmers
This PBS documentary shows you exactly how our Ice Farmers build the park each season!
WATCH: The Crop that grows from the top
A timelapse video showcasing the creation of the Ouray Ice Park over the span of 6 weeks.
The Ouray Ice Festival
Our biggest fundraising event of the year!
Our annual Ouray Ice Festival spans three days and four nights every January, transforming the town of Ouray into an ice climbing mecca with people from around the world gathering to celebrate the growing sport of ice climbing and helping us raise funding for our operations.
During the day, you can find yourself in a climbing clinic being taught by elite athletes from all over the world. You can wander into the Vendor Village and demo gear from all sorts of outdoor brands. You can even stand on the Lower Bridge and watch our mixed climbing competition in the Scottish Gullies.
At night, Fest-goers head into downtown Ouray for presentations and movies from some of the best climbers in the world. We even have a huge dance party every Saturday night, the Petzl Party, which has a reputation of its own.
The best part? Every dollar made during our annual Ouray Ice Festival goes directly to funding the operational costs of the Ouray Ice Park so we can continue to build a world-class ice climbing park every year that is free and open to the public!
Interested in attending? Click here to learn more!
